Park Hopping Advice: EP/DHS Late Aug

[tigertides]

Hi. I'm WDW veteran, visiting since 1980s, but planning FIRST park hopping trip for Aug 21 (Thu), mid-week.

I've tried looking this up at ChatGPT and this forum, but will ask more directly:

Basics:
-Staying at Pop*
-Using Skyliner
-45yr old dad and 11yr old son
-Will be using LLMP
-Will be rope dropping via IG

Goals:
-Remy* (?Rope drop)
-Test Track* (single rider?)
-Frozen*
<mid day break>
-Slinky Dog
-TSM
-Star Tours (repeatedly)
-Rise (last hour before park closing)
-Fantasia*

Will Skip:
GoTG
Mission Space
ToT
RnR

Last Summer, we did Rise 2x in last hour of park (standby), so will be hoping to do that as well.
Asterik (*) means new experience for my son


QUESTION:
-Which Park should we start? (I'm assuming Epcot via IG, and hitting Remi, Frozen, and TT)
-What to rank at DHS (Slink Tier 1, then others)
-How/when to modify LL rides?
-How many rides can we do in a single day (given lowest crowds of year, and avoiding a few headliners)

 

[Mle8308]

Hi. I'm WDW veteran, visiting since 1980s, but planning FIRST park hopping trip for Aug 21 (Thu), mid-week.

I've tried looking this up at ChatGPT and this forum, but will ask more directly:

Basics:
-Staying at Pop*
-Using Skyliner
-45yr old dad and 11yr old son
-Will be using LLMP
-Will be rope dropping via IG

Goals:
-Remy* (?Rope drop)
-Test Track* (single rider?)
-Frozen*
<mid day break>
-Slinky Dog
-TSM
-Star Tours (repeatedly)
-Rise (last hour before park closing)
-Fantasia*

Will Skip:
GoTG
Mission Space
ToT
RnR

Last Summer, we did Rise 2x in last hour of park (standby), so will be hoping to do that as well.
Asterik (*) means new experience for my son


QUESTION:
-Which Park should we start? (I'm assuming Epcot via IG, and hitting Remi, Frozen, and TT)
-What to rank at DHS (Slink Tier 1, then others)
-How/when to modify LL rides?
-How many rides can we do in a single day (given lowest crowds of year, and avoiding a few headliners)

Can someone put an hour-by-hour itinerary with best plan?

Jus FYI, Test Track may not be open. It's scheduled for late summer, and August is late summer, but.... And it's kind of a lot to ask someone to put together an hour by hour itinerary for you. Touring Plans is a great resource to plan an itinerary for you. You tell it what you want to do and how you like to pace your day, and they will optimize a plan for you. It's also difficult to do an hour by hour plan if you are buying LLMP since there is no way to know what return times you will get, at this point. Based on what you want to do, you should be able to accomplish it all.

 

[HeiHei2018]

You will not be able to get Slinky Dog LL same day. TSM can also be challenging to pull same day. There are a few people that luck out and get those (and thrill data shows those rare drops as availability), but plan to wait in the lines if they are must ride. Late August is low crowds, but we have not had great luck pulling high demand LL day-of that week.

 

[kwdw]

Depends on how long you plan to stay at EPCOT, to be honest.

At first glance, yes, I would RD EP - hit Remy and then head to Frozen. TT is up in the air for you at the moment because we don't know when it will reopen. You could then hit some other front of park experiences at EP - then head to Skyliner for HS. Do you plan to walk WS? Or is browsing in the countries not planned for the day?

Making Fantasmic vs. riding ROTR at the end of the day may not be compatible - depends on show times and park closing times - which MAY change between now and then. SDD is the tough one here for you in terms of waiting. You won't get that LL day of. I'd guess that TSM will probably be <40 minutes sometime during the day.

You COULD start at HS, hop to EP, and hop back to HS - it just all depends on how much time you expect to spend at EP.

 

[gottalovepluto]

Remy has single rider so don’t waste your rope drop on it. Even if TT opens by Aug, unknown if SR will operate when it first reopens as the ride will be VERY popular. Hard to hit ROTR in the last hour and make Fantasmic. That Theater can fill up and if it does people will be turned away.

I second Touring Plans, you seem out of your element and it’s not expensive. Since you know what you want to ride and do that will make it even easier to get TP to do a day sched for you.

 

[Mouse Tracker]

You COULD start at HS, hop to EP, and hop back to HS

This is how I would frame the day.

Rope drop SDD if not available with LLMP, ( TSM, ST). Buy LLSP Rise late afternoon time
Hop to Epcot with another LL pickup for Remy or Frozen.
Could break here.
Back to HS for the Rise LL, Fantasmic. another walk on Rise before "F"

 

[georgina]

I would agree with rope dropping Epcot. As mentioned above, Remy does have single rider now, so you can consider that as you decide what to ride first, Frozen or Remy.

Late August is not a super busy time, if staying at Pop you can make your 3 LL at HS 7 days out. Slinky will probably be later in the afternoon, so grab that first, then TSMM, then Star Tours. You should be able to ride Star Tours several times standby, the line is often quite short. Toward the end of the day, the listed wait times are inflated, so you should be able to get in line for Rise and still make Fantasmic.

You can modify your LL times in the app anytime after you make them.

That time of year you may get afternoon thunderstorms. Skyliner may be down for storms, likely the boats won't run either, be aware that may change your hopping some.

As far as how many rides, what you have listed is doable. If you find you get through your 3 desired rides at Epcot fairly quickly you could probably get a few more rides in there before hopping. Not sure how long of an afternoon break you are considering, I sometimes just have a nice lunch in an air conditioned restaurant as a break.

 

[tigertides]

Jus FYI, Test Track may not be open. It's scheduled for late summer, and August is late summer, but.... And it's kind of a lot to ask someone to put together an hour by hour itinerary for you. Touring Plans is a great resource to plan an itinerary for you. You tell it what you want to do and how you like to pace your day, and they will optimize a plan for you. It's also difficult to do an hour by hour plan if you are buying LLMP since there is no way to know what return times you will get, at this point. Based on what you want to do, you should be able to accomplish it all.

How about a general outline? Touring plans, which I’ve used for 10 years, doesn’t plan park hopping

I would agree with rope dropping Epcot. As mentioned above, Remy does have single rider now, so you can consider that as you decide what to ride first, Frozen or Remy.

Late August is not a super busy time, if staying at Pop you can make your 3 LL at HS 7 days out. Slinky will probably be later in the afternoon, so grab that first, then TSMM, then Star Tours. You should be able to ride Star Tours several times standby, the line is often quite short. Toward the end of the day, the listed wait times are inflated, so you should be able to get in line for Rise and still make Fantasmic.

You can modify your LL times in the app anytime after you make them.

That time of year you may get afternoon thunderstorms. Skyliner may be down for storms, likely the boats won't run either, be aware that may change your hopping some.

As far as how many rides, what you have listed is doable. If you find you get through your 3 desired rides at Epcot fairly quickly you could probably get a few more rides in there before hopping. Not sure how long of an afternoon break you are considering, I sometimes just have a nice lunch in an air conditioned restaurant as a break.

this was very helpful

 

[tigertides]

I would agree with rope dropping Epcot. As mentioned above, Remy does have single rider now, so you can consider that as you decide what to ride first, Frozen or Remy.

Late August is not a super busy time, if staying at Pop you can make your 3 LL at HS 7 days out. Slinky will probably be later in the afternoon, so grab that first, then TSMM, then Star Tours. You should be able to ride Star Tours several times standby, the line is often quite short. Toward the end of the day, the listed wait times are inflated, so you should be able to get in line for Rise and still make Fantasmic.

You can modify your LL times in the app anytime after you make them.

That time of year you may get afternoon thunderstorms. Skyliner may be down for storms, likely the boats won't run either, be aware that may change your hopping some.

As far as how many rides, what you have listed is doable. If you find you get through your 3 desired rides at Epcot fairly quickly you could probably get a few more rides in there before hopping. Not sure how long of an afternoon break you are considering, I sometimes just have a nice lunch in an air conditioned restaurant as a break.

Thanks so much!

 

[tigertides]

This is how I would frame the day.

Rope drop SDD if not available with LLMP, ( TSM, ST). Buy LLSP Rise late afternoon time
Hop to Epcot with another LL pickup for Remy or Frozen.
Could break here.
Back to HS for the Rise LL, Fantasmic. another walk on Rise before "F"

I imagine there won’t be any LL for Remy or Frozen later in day if instant at DHS?

 

[georgina]

I imagine there won’t be any LL for Remy or Frozen later in day if instant at DHS?

There is an informative website that keeps track of when LL passes are gone for the day -

https://www.thrill-data.com/lightning-lane/wdw

 

[Mouse Tracker]

I imagine there won’t be any LL for Remy or Frozen later in day if instant at DHS?

Your trying to book for Epcot after tapping in on HS rides so hopefully there are selections available during that morning.

 

[tigertides]

Asking for recent updates to my above question, now that test track has been open.

I’m really struggling on where to start/which park. First time park hopping in 40+ years of going to the parks.

CAVEATS:
- using rope drop/early entry
- will use Single Rider with teenagers (Remy and TT)
- Paying for LLMP
- skipping ToT, RnR, GotG
- priorities: TT, Remy, Galaxys Edge, SD
- mid day break POP 2-5pm

Chat GPT and touring plans suggests:

A) starting at Epcot via IG, and then pre booking every LLMP after 1pm rides at DHS. This plan assumes accomplishing a lot could by rope dropping Epcot (without LLMP) but does not seem like a great use of LLMP dollars for evening only at DHS. Especially now that stacking isn't as effective.



B) Another option would be to:
Use LLMP and knock out DHS Toy Story in am. Then, park hop to Epcot by 11am, and hit TT and Remy using SINGLE RIDER…. Hotel break. And then Galaxys Edge in evening.


PLEASE HELP!!!

Last question: If I have LLMP purchased for DHS that day (and bought date-based entry at DHS), I can still show up at Epcot that morning?

 

[han22735]

I would buy LLMP for HS and grab the rides you want there for later in the day...Then rope drop(early entry) EP head straight for TT then work your way over to ride Frozen and Remy then skyliner to pop for some rest and then off to HS later for your LLMP's.

 

[tigertides]

I would buy LLMP for HS and grab the rides you want there for later in the day...Then rope drop(early entry) EP head straight for TT then work your way over to ride Frozen and Remy then skyliner to pop for some rest and then off to HS later for your LLMP's.

Great advice. But I won’t able to use Single Riger before 9am at EP? And how short are the SR rides right now?

 

[jennypenny]

Can you buy LLMP for each park that day? I know buying two sets (one for each park) sounds crazy but in for a penny and all that.

 

[han22735]

Great advice. But I won’t able to use Single Riger before 9am at EP? And how short are the SR rides right now

I cant answer either(we dont SR)...LOL but if you rope drop TT how longs the wait realistically going to be? 30ish? then lets say 45 for frozen and then single rider for Remy..and you're out of the park by 12? plenty of time for rest and then head to HS later.

 

[Tom_E_D]

Can you buy LLMP for each park that day? I know buying two sets (one for each park) sounds crazy but in for a penny and all that.

Not allowed. You can only buy one LLMP per day. If your ticket allows park hopping, you can use it in more than the park you buy it for. But you can't book attractions in another park until you have tapped in to an LLMP reservation at the park you bought it for.